Glow & Shadow: Modern Still Life in Oil Pastel (sold out!)

 

INSTRUCTOR: Ezekiel Abassa

 

DATE: Sunday, November 23, 2025

TIME: 1 - 4

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This workshop is currently sold out. Please email Mara at assistant@gainesvillefinearts.org to get on the wait list.

 

COST: (includes 24-color oil pastel set to take home)

Member Benefit: $17

Non-Members: $32

 

Membership is affordable, goes toward running the nonprofit and the gallery, and comes with lots of benefits!

 

BECOME A MEMBER HERE​​

 

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

A step-by-step oil pastel session focused on a modern still life. If your last memory of oil pastels is that waxy school set, or you’ve heard they’re “impossible”, this class will change that. The goal is simple: leave confident, you were always able to do this! We’ll start with an easy warm‑up on the fundamentals of light and shadow: finding the light source, spotting the big value shapes, and learning the simple parts. We’ll practice seeing these as clear shapes and matching them with colors, then use smooth finger blending to connect it all together. We will go over how to hold the pastel, light vs. heavy pressure, spotting simple light‑and‑shadow shapes, and smooth finger blending. Then we’ll build the artwork in easy stages with big shapes first, color layers next, and a bright highlight to finish. By the end, you’ll walk away with your own frame‑worthy oil pastel piece and a simple process you can repeat at home.

 

SUPPLIES:

Included with workshop fee.

 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Ezekiel “Zulu” Abassa is a Gainesville-based visual artist working in oil and soft pastels. Rooted in nature, music, and community, he paints what people feel and remember. How our own lens shapes what we see (umwelt). He’s known for luminous light-and-shadow, bold yet measured color, and tactile marks that keep the touch of the hand. Lately his work moves between expressive faces, modern still lifes, and the “third places” where everyday life unfolds, inviting quiet reflection and empathy.

 

WORKSHOP AGREEMENT & CANCELLATION POLICY

1. If you find you need to cancel please let us know as soon as possible so another member can take your place.

2. Questions should be directed to Katy at director@gainesvillefinearts.org or Mara at assistant@gainesvillefinearts.org